


Status Quo

by Lady Adain (pocketTherapist)



Category: Bleach
Genre: Academy Fic, Canon Divergence, M/M, No Final Getsuga, UraIchi Week 2019, Very Slightly Cracky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-03-08 12:42:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18894871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocketTherapist/pseuds/Lady%20Adain
Summary: This is stupid. No, seriously.After all, who thought that making Ichigo go to the Academy was a good idea, anyway?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to UraIchi Week 2019, everyone! Day 1 Prompt: Canon Divergence/Time Travel/Time Loop

This is stupid. 

 

Seriously. 

 

See, the whole thing is some compromise that Urahara had worked out, where Ichigo got to be a full-fledged Soul Reaper (and thus not subject to surveillance or random execution by annoyed, fearful nobles), but only if he went to the Academy long enough to graduate--like an actual Soul Reaper. 

 

Ichigo has never wanted favoritism in his  _ life _ but there’s also no way in hell he’s about to spend six years here in order to placate the paper pushers. 

 

Hey, at least Urahara has to suffer too. They made him come be a teacher at the Academy for the duration--the demon arts, ostensibly, but really they just want him there because it’s obvious that he’s one of the only people that Ichigo really respects. The others are still in exile, status more or less dependent on Ichigo keeping his head down and  _ finishing this _ . 

 

So, he’s going to do it, and he’s damn well going to do it  _ right _ , but that doesn’t mean they can keep him here for six years, either. 

 

He’s moved into the dorms. He’s said goodbye to his sisters. He’s kicked Isshin in the face a couple times.

 

Time to get to work, he guesses. 

 

“Geta-boushi.”

 

Urahara looks up from where’s he’s setting up his office--a deliberately sparse room with no desk, no chairs, and a small table off to the side that’s probably meant to hold the inevitable paperwork. The man is currently half-out of the wall, partially invisible as he fiddles with something behind the paneling. He gives Ichigo a deliberately vague look, no doubt looking for the anticipated reaction, but Ichigo just rolls his eyes. He’s long given up on asking why, whenever Urahara allows him to catch the former shopkeep in a bizarre act. It’s more fun to watch him huff in mostly-feigned disappointment. 

 

Not that he doesn’t deserve it, not after that headband thing. Ichigo still hasn’t forgotten, not by a long shot. 

 

When no response is forthcoming, Urahara sighs and withdraws from the wall, carefully replacing the panel where it was, and gives Ichigo a questioning look. 

 

“Yes, Kurosaki-san?”

 

“Do you have a few moments? I was wondering if you’d be interested in going over the basics of what the curriculum covers for all six years. And then maybe sparring?”

 

Urahara gives him a long, steady look, and then stretches, popping his back. 

 

“I’d be delighted to assist, Kurosaki-san. Have a seat.”

 

Two hours later, they have a game plan. The curriculum is flexible, meant to advance or slow as needed, so each year’s lessons are more or less structured similarly. There are the academic courses--History, Paperwork, Mathematics--and the fun ones. Kido, Zanjutsu, Hohou, Hakuda--the combat arts. Ichigo is actually really, really looking forward to these. 

 

The plan is to have him testing out of the three academic courses as soon as possible; nothing in Mathematics will go higher than he’s already learned in normal high school, Paperwork should be easy enough as long as Ichigo shows an ability to write a middle-school-level report, and History will be mostly things he already knows, from Soul Society’s perspective. Geta-boushi says that he can beat that into Ichigo in a week or less, and Ichigo believes him. Hohou shouldn’t be a problem, just a chance to practice what he already knows, Hakuda is the same, and Zanjutsu will be nice to build up the basics he hasn’t yet had the chance to. It’s Kido that will be the difficulty, given Ichigo’s inability to do anything less than than utterly destructive. 

 

Urahara had optimistically given Ichigo two months to master all of them--insane, as usual, but Ichigo does enjoy rising to meet or surpass the madman’s expectations. Between the two of them, they’re going to turn the system on its antiquated head. 

 

After that, they spar. There are shielded training grounds all over the Academy, which is good because it means they can let loose a little without worrying about bringing all of Seireitei down on their heads. Or, well, Ichigo can let loose a little. Urahara, even when fighting, keeps his reiatsu under such tight wraps that it’s impossible to get a read on him, except when he’s flaring it in short, disorienting bursts that may or may not herald an attack. It’s  _ awful _ , and it’s exactly what Ichigo needs to learn to trust his instincts and his read on the other man’s body. Reiatsu can be used to lie just like any other tell, and Urahara is probably the best at it, although according to him, Unohana and the Shunsui/Juushiro pairing are excellent at well. 

 

Ichigo focuses on precision. He can manage large-scale explosions and reiatsu levels capable of flattening Kenpachi. That’s not what he needs now. Each motion, he tries to make as fluid and exact as possible, aiming to feel the flow of his own reiatsu both within him and Zangetsu, strengthening his body and blade simultaneously, and that released with each augmented motion, slash, or step. 

 

They call it quits after three hours, and the only conclusion Ichigo has come to is that he wastes a  _ tremendous _ amount of power with his movements and attacks in pure leakage. 

 

He knows Aizen couldn’t feel his reiatsu, by the end, and neither can anyone else, but that’s no excuse to be  _ sloppy _ with it. Besides, with the sort of things life likes to throw at him, he may as well assume that worse is coming in an exponential kind of fashion. 

 

It speaks much to Geta-Boushi’s concealed strength that Ichigo still has difficulty landing a blow, “transcendent” power or not. The shopkeeper seems barely winded by the end of their spar, and even though neither of them were going all out, it's still impressive. 

 

Despite his curiosity, Ichigo isn't sure he wants to see the scenario that forces Urahara to go all out. 

  
  


Classes start with little fanfare. Most of the incoming students, or even the returning ones, have no idea who Ichigo is, having remained more or less sheltered from the war by unspoken mutual agreement from both sides. The teachers, if they know, don't care. He sits through the first two days of academic classes before the first practical class.

 

It's Hakuda, and Ichigo grew up fighting his family/ friends and more serious thugs on a regular basis. His style is better suited to fighting multiple opponents at once, but he doesn't need even a quarter of his skill for this. When the instructor pairs them off for an introductory spar, Ichigo's opponent is on the floor after about three seconds. 

 

When he sends the next opponent, a cocky noble-raised idiot, through the wall, the instructor directs Ichigo to attack him next. 

 

Ichigo hesitates. He doesn't think the instructor really has the intent for a proper fight, but maybe they can have a decent spar. He's an instructor. He should be well able to handle it, right? 

 

(The instructor is not able to handle it. He can't even dodge Ichigo's punches, and attempting to block one nearly shatters both his arms.)

 

After the sixth year instructor shows up and watches Ichigo finish off the third through fifth year instructors more or less simultaneously, he's unceremoniously declared graduated and promptly kicked out of the little dojo. Ichigo leaves with a smirk that's perhaps a little feral. 

 

One down, six to go. 

  
  
  


Upon inquiry, Ichigo finds himself sitting the sixth year practical for paperwork and mathematics back to back, the day after. He tells them it's because he needs to spend more time focusing on his kido. 

 

He's not being facetious, either. His kido is an absolute _ disaster _ . Urahara had looked at the wide crater his bakudo attempt had put in the wall, and then moved them outdoors. 

 

Ichigo knows his incantations, by now. The problem is that everything he tries to cast comes out exactly the same no matter what it is, all of them looking suspiciously like an overpowered bala. Shiro is trying, it’s clear from the start, but his sword is nearly as frustrated by their inability as Ichigo is. Ossan offers what hints he can, but it’s relatively obvious that none of the three of them can manage something that doesn’t involve shaping their reiatsu directly.

 

Urahara listens to this, pensive, and tells them to come back in three days. He wants to try something.

 

That’s… not as reassuring as it could be, to be honest, but Ichigo knows better than to question Geta-Boushi’s unconventional methods, by now. The shopkeep will come up with something that’ll work, no doubt. 

 

He aces his Mathematics and Paperwork finals. Ichigo hadn’t expected anything else, but the little flush of pride he feels is welcome anyway. 

 

Three down. Four to go. 

 

He shows up to the Hohou class, steps from one end of the training ground to the other, and is promptly sent to the sixth year teacher for “evaluation.”

 

The sixth year instructor wants to know why a Shihouin scout is pretending to take one of his classes, and Ichigo laughs until he just about  _ cries _ , right up until Urahara shows up to make his explanation. He should have known that Yoruichi wouldn’t have put up with anything less than the best, not from someone she trained personally.

 

Urahara wanders out of the meeting room with a manic grin and meets Ichigo’s eyes for a moment. 

 

“Ah, Kurosaki-san. I do believe you’ve caused quite the stir, in the week you’ve been here.”

 

Ichigo rolls his shoulders in a shrug. 

 

“I don’t mean to. It’s just--is that  _ really _ as easy as it seems? I know I’m not nearly the best, there’s always someone better, but this just seems… sloppy. They’re all going to die, the second they get in the field. Not even the instructors know what it’s like.”

 

Urahara hums, low and thoughtful, and invites Ichigo to walk with him. They don’t really speak, at first, not until they’ve wandered well away from civilization. 

 

“Kurosaki-san, do you know what the purpose of the average, unseated Shinigami is?”

 

Ichigo thinks for a moment. He’s seen them around, carrying messages and scouting and running patrols, but not a one of them looks like anything he couldn’t have beaten when he was still a normal human, sword or no sword. He says as much. 

 

Urahara tips his head, acknowledging silently. His stupid hat shades his eyes, but Ichigo doesn’t need to see them by now, to know what the other man is thinking.

 

“They’re just cannon fodder, aren’t they? I don’t think a single one of them could beat a Hollow on their own.”

 

“Precisely, Kurosaki-san. Why do you think this is?”

 

“Because… they don’t have enough spiritual pressure?”

 

“Tell me, do you remember when you were first training? What did I tell you about how to increase your skill?”

 

Ichigo tips his head back to look at the sky. 

 

“The fastest way to increase a soul’s reiatsu is to put it in danger of dying.”

 

Urahara smiles again, softer and a little lopsided.

 

“So, then, what is the purpose of the rank and file?”

 

Ichigo can think of only two reasons.

 

“If the captains and upper seats are the only ones who can really fight, there’d be no need for any of the lower seats-- so I guess that they’re there to do the grunt work that doesn’t need fighting, to keep the appearance of peace and all that. And… they’re there so that they can come in contact with dangerous situations so they can get stronger. Wait, so you’re saying that the Academy isn’t the real training at all?”

 

It’s harsh. It’s incredibly harsh, and the body count ratio of deaths to increases in power must be  _ insane _ . But then again, given what Ichigo knows of Seireitei and Soul Society in general, it fits, horribly well. 

 

“So why do they have an Academy at all?”

 

Urahara tips his own head, his eyes shadowed. 

 

“Well, the practical classes are important. And should they eventually survive to become strong, they will need to know the basics of how to use their newfound power. Many of the graduates can use even less Kido than you, Kurosaki-san, except for the Nobles who were born with enough power to train with it.”

 

Ichigo thinks of all the things he knows, or rather doesn’t know, about Urahara’s past, and decides not to inquire further. 


	2. Chapter 2

Yamamoto sends a runner for him, that weekend. Ichigo only doesn’t squirm because Kisuke is at his side, and because he’s pretty sure the old man doesn’t actually want him dead at this point. 

 

Still, some part of him will probably always be uncomfortable around the elder Shinigami, simply because he is uncomfortable with the man’s willingness to incinerate his allies to get to the actual threat. Ichigo will  _ never _ be able to do that, not in a million years, and he doesn’t really want to think about what Yama-jii must have been through to make him so willing to do  _ anything _ to win. 

 

He and Urahara are shown into the Soutaicho’s room, where Sasakibe offers them tea and tells them that Yamamoto is still finishing his morning meditation. Ichigo sips at it with only minor apprehension as they wait.

 

What follows reminds him of the most bizarre parent-teacher conference he’s ever seen--and he’s used to seeing those with Goat-Face. Yama-jii inquires after his studies, quizzes Kisuke on his progress, and mostly just seems legitimately interested in how Ichigo is taking to the Academy. It’s enough to make Ichigo nervous, because from what he’s seen, the old man never does  _ anything _ without at least three different reasons behind it. Kisuke seems calm enough, though, seeming not to find anything strange about the situation, so Ichigo follows his lead and relaxes enough to answer a few questions about the teachers and their interactions with the students (they’re horribly biased towards the nobles, and overall Ichigo doesn’t think a single one of them except Kisuke really knows how to handle themselves in a real fight, but they’re not actually  _ bad _ ). 

 

Yamamoto laughs at him when he explains his struggle with kido. Ichigo wrinkles his nose and elbows Urahara in the side when the former shopkeeper joins in. Eventually the elderly Shinigami calms and offers him the closest thing to a sympathetic look Ichigo’s ever seen from him.

 

“It’s because of your growth, youngling. My students, Juushiro and Shunsui, did not have such problems, because they learned control  _ before _ they gained large reserves. Of all the Gotei, you will find the oldest Shinigami are those with the most trouble with Kido--or the ones who gained their power before they gained control. This Kenpachi cannot use the Demon Arts at all. It took myself and Retsu-san  _ decades _ to learn the spells created by the Kido Corps, because we had been fighting for centuries before Kido were even invented. I believe that was one of the factors that led to her transfer to the Captaincy of the Fourth Division, actually; she wanted to learn to combine the Arts with medicine, as well as hone her control. Were the Corps to create a new Kido today, she could master it in a single attempt. Of all the Shinigami in the entirety of Seireitei, boy, she is probably the one who came closest to where you started. You should speak with her, should your mentor find such a thing acceptable.”

 

Kisuke looks intrigued, and then smug at the Soutaicho’s recognition. 

 

“It might be a good idea, Kurosaki-san. She may have a point of view uniquely suited to your...situation. I believe she teaches flower arranging and field medicine at the Academy twice a month, if you were to find her then.”

 

Ichigo is mildly terrified of Unohana, because he’s pretty sure that even Aizen hadn’t wanted to cross her, and Kisuke and Yoruichi both steer clear of her, which is about the biggest gauge of “nope” he has. 

 

But he  _ really _ needs the help, and it isn’t like he makes a habit of running  _ away _ from his fears. Besides, Isshin is a terrible teacher, but Ichigo learned a few things around the clinic. Maybe Unohana will let him help out at the Fourth in exchange for lessons?

 

#############################

 

“Kurosaki-san, I would be happy to assist you with your control. Please, have a seat.”

 

Ichigo settles into seiza in front of her and meets her gaze squarely, letting her see what she will. Her gaze rakes over him, judging his sincerity, and then she smiles at him, a little less gently and a little more real. He smiles back, a rare quirk of his lips, and bows his head slightly, awkward but genuine.

 

“Please take care of me, Unohana-sensei.”

 

“I’ll begin, then. Tell me, Kurosaki-san, what do you know about reiatsu?”

 

Ichigo shuts his eyes, thinking back to Kisuke’s first lessons, to some of Ishida’s us-versus-them rants. 

 

“Reiatsu is the manifestation of the power inside a Shinigami’s soul, produced by the soul and stored until exerted on the world around it. While a Quincy would direct the Reishi in the environment directly, a Shinigami uses their own power, called Reiryoku, and extends it, in the form of Reiatsu, to cause change. This is why a Quincy won’t have spiritual pressure, which is what a Shinigami consciously or unconsciously exudes when intending to  _ use _ their Reiatsu. An experienced Shinigami would be able to exert spiritual pressure deliberately to intimidate an opponent or to shield themselves against the spiritual pressure of another.” 

 

Unohana hums approvingly, and Ichigo opens his eyes to see her nod in agreement.

 

“Very good. I will assume you learned much of this from your mentor and the Quincy heir?”

 

Ichigo chuckles sheepishly. 

 

“Yeah, he had to beat it into my head a couple times. Rukia tried to explain it, once, but all I ended up getting out of that was a headache. And some  _ terrible _ bunny allegories.”

 

“Are you aware, then, that in order to perform Kido, as well as to traditionally sense reiatsu, you have to be able to control your natural output? Repressing it completely is not only impossible, but would also likely incinerate you completely--but the ability to limit and direct your reiatsu output is vital to any of the exercises that require more control, such as the Demon Arts.”

 

Ichigo winces. That’s...going to be difficult. He can sense reiatsu now, but it’s closer to echolocation than anything else, and there’s no finesse to it whatsoever. He knows full well that true masters can get a read for anyone within miles, their identity and location and emotions and state of mind--he’d talked Kisuke into demonstrating for him, once, and the man had pinpointed every captain and lieutenant in Seireitei and then reached further, pointing out Yoruichi and Kuukaku and Ganju, going as far as to identify what each of them were likely doing (Yoruichi was in cat form, Kuukaku was drunk, and Ganju was experimenting with some sort of explosive kido). 

 

He’d sat there in awe for a solid minute, and then wandered off to find Unohana. 

 

“How do I start?”

 

“Meditation, Kurosaki-san. You are familiar with Jinzen? This is similar, except that instead of entering your Inner World, you pause at a halfway point, becoming aware of the reiryoku flowing out of your soul and becoming reiatsu. Focus on the inside of your wrists, especially, where there are reiatsu vents that allow for...leakage, you might say. Once you become aware of this flow, focus on drawing in what escapes. Don’t block the vent entirely, just circulate the reiatsu instead of letting go indiscriminately.”

 

Ichigo nods. That sounds--not  _ easy _ , but at least a straightforward set of steps he can work on. 

 

“Thank you, Unohana-sensei. Should I try this now, or should I work on this on my own time?”

 

The medic offers him a little smile.

 

“You can work on this at any time you aren’t busy, Kurosaki-san. Once you’ve mastered this, you should be able to begin the next step towards grasping Kido.”

 

He bows again, taking that for the dismissal it is, and excuses himself to take a long walk around the Academy grounds, discussing what he knows with Shiro and Ossan. The old man seems heartened, at least--their Quincy side should allow them to master the shaping of their reiatsu relatively easily, once they’d grasped the basics. Shiro seems impatient to get to the good stuff, but he understands as well as the others that the basics are important, and Ichigo  _ knows _ that his Hollowfied sword was paying just as much attention to Unohana’s lecture as he and Ossan were.

 

#########################################

 

The next week, Ichigo doesn’t have much time to practice. Most of his downtime is spent with Kisuke, memorizing the history of the Shinigami and their wars, the founding of Seireitei and the Gotei 13 and the Central 46. Yama-jii is a central figure, terrifying and stern, and it helps, a little bit, being able to understand the bloody carnage he’d raised himself from. 

 

It doesn’t mean he’d ever make the same decisions, though. He  _ couldn’t _ , not while staying true to himself. 

 

He takes his History final at the end of the week and punts his instructor through the wall when the man tries to dock points for daring to critique the decisions of C46--and Ichigo had actually been pretty proud of that essay, because he’d tried to be as neutral and even-handed as possible, keeping emotions and opinions out of it. 

 

Kisuke takes a look at the complaint form they’d sent with Ichigo and laughs for a solid ten minutes. 

 

“I should have known you’d be challenging the status quo even in the Academy, Ichigo-san.”

 

Ichigo grins at him unashamedly and invites him to spar. He’s getting pretty good at managing his reiatsu flow even during his waking hours, and he’s seeing the results as well--less reiatsu is spent with more efficiency than he’s ever managed. He hasn’t gotten the chance to speak with Unohana again, but he  _ did _ spend a full night in Jinzen, practicing something he wanted to surprise Kisuke with.

 

He knocks his mentor back with a flick of Shiro, raising his other hand in the gap provided, and intones,

 

“Hadou 31: Shakkahou!”

 

It takes every ounce of the control he’s been managing, and he  _ might _ only pull it off because it’s the closest thing to a Shinigami version of a Bala, but he does it. 

 

A red orb of pure flame--edged in black, dammit, lost it right there at the end--streaks from his palm towards Urahara, and through the resulting explosion he can hear the man laughing. 

 

“Oh, well  _ done, _ Ichigo! You continue to surpass every expectation, you terrifying brat. Let’s take it up a notch, shall we?”

 

Kisuke’s already in Shikai, but Ichigo knows well by now that he doesn't  _ need  _ to enter Bankai to follow through with  _ that _ threat. 

 

He finds a grin spreading over his own face to match the quirking of the former assassin’s lips as they leap forward to cross blades again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Roll Credits!

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to come join us in our madness, here's the link to the UraIchi discord server that's now a little over a year old.
> 
> https://discord.gg/MMuJJjE


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